Cardiac Rehab Patient "Stars" in TV Show

Cardiac Rehab patient, Don Greene (right), is being featured on an Arlington Governement Access televsion show about his recovery from heart bypass surgery.

Don is a longtime Dale City resident who had triple bypass surgery in February and was then referred to Sentara Potomac Hospital for Cardiac Rehab, which he attends three times a week.

“The atmosphere in Cardiac Rehab is great,” says Don. “The nurses are wonderful and they make this place special. I feel rejuvenated when I leave and I appreciate all of the guidance and care they give.”

Don will be celebrating his 79th birthday next week but he shows no signs of slowing down. He still works full time as the Fitness Center manager at Vornado (Courthouse Plaza) in Arlington and is also a member of the National Senior Olympic Games basketball team!

Commandant of the Marine Corps Visits War Hero at Sentara Potomac Hospital

Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James F. Amos, dropped into Sentara Potomac Hospital on Monday to visit retired Sgt. Major John Henry and celebrate his 86th birthday.

Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Henry served in both the U.S. Air Force and the Marine Corps. He fought in two major battles of the Korean War and has taken tours of duty in Yugoslavia, Burma and Vietnam. He earned both a Bronze Star and a Silver Star during his service. What’s more, since 1985 he’s helped train a generation of military leaders as a Leadership Training teacher at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico.

General Amos brought a cake to his friend and colleague of more than 25 years. He then led the staff and family members in a resounding rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

Mr. Henry is on the Medicine Unit being cared for by the wonderful staff. He made sure to mention the exceptional care he’s receiving but (understandably!) “is really ready to go home.”

Heat Wave Tips from Sentara Potomac Hospital

During these dog days of summer, the possibility of heat-related illness increases. According to Dr. Luis Eljaiek, chairman of the Irene V. Hylton Emergency Care Center at Sentara Potomac Hospital, everyone should follow these guidelines during extreme heat:

• Drink plenty of water.Decrease your intake of alcohol and carbonated and caffeinated beverages. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
• Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
• Stay indoors (in air-conditioned buildings) during extreme heat. Avoid outdoors and the sun if possible.
• Eliminate running, biking, yard work and other strenuous activities.
• NEVER leave anyone or pets in a closed, parked vehicle.
• Check on your elderly neighbors, as they are especially susceptible to heat-related illness.

If you must be out in the heat:

• Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
• Try to rest often in shady areas.
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.
• Drink water often. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty.

Warning signs of heat exhaustion include the following:
• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting

Seek medical attention immediately if any of the following occurs:
• Symptoms are severe.
• The victim has heart problems or high blood pressure.

Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.

Steve Argubright Receives Rotary Award

Unsung Hero - a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged.

Congratulations to Sentara Potomac Hospital's Auxiliary President, Steve Argubright, who received the Lake Ridge Rotary’s 2011 Unsung Hero Award. Steve has provided more than 6,000 hours of volunteer service to Sentara Potomac Hospital and has given his time and talent for many years in too many ways to name.

We are very thankful for Steve's gracious and selfless dedication to Sentara Potomac and believe that he is most deserving of this award.

Pictured: Steve Argubright (left) receives the 2011 Unsung Hero Award from Lynn Arturi (Sentara Potomac Hospital Development Office) and Jim Lynch, President, Lake Ridge Rotary.

My "Quit" Story

By Maureen Deutermann, R.N.
Director of Community Education

I started smoking at the age of 16 during a Wisconsin snowstorm. Sequestered in a Volkswagen Beetle with my sibling cheerfully puffing away, lighting a cigarette seemed my best defense against the annoying smoke accumulating in the baby car.

So began my 16-year love affair with cigarettes. With age, I knew better. I even quit for two years …until I glimpsed a physician’s note describing me as… “A 29-year-old slightly obese female.” I picked up a pack on the way home.

Cigarettes were my weight control, my social crutch and my stress management. When my 18-month-old daughter snatched a butt out of the ash tray and grabbed the lighter with her other little fist, something finally snapped in my smoke-clouded brain synapses. I quit for good.

Eventually, I started working at Sentara Potomac. When an opportunity arose to facilitate wellness programs, I quickly accepted, as I love to teach. One of my first assignments? A smoking cessation class.

I was then, and still am, a cantor in my church. I don’t exaggerate when I say that quitting not only preserved my health, but truly, dramatically, changed the course of my life. Could I credibly counsel people on living a healthy lifestyle if I were still a smoker? Would I still have the lung power at my age to lead worshipers in song if I had remained hooked on cigarettes? Obviously not, and these are two great joys in my life.

Today I’m a proud member of Sentara Potomac Hospital's Tobacco Free Environment Team, and wholeheartedly, gratefully support our Smoke-Free Campus!

Yesterday Sentara Potomac Hospital officially became a smoke-free and tobacco-free campus. This means that the use of smoking or tobacco products is prohibitted anywhere on the hospital campus -- inside and outside. This policy is in line with Sentara's mission to improve health every day. Click here for more information.

Free Glaucoma Screening at Sentara Potomac Hospital

Did you know that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and the first among African Americans in the United States?

An estimated four million Americans have glaucoma but only half know it. That’s because glaucoma has no early symptoms or warning signs. Everyone is at risk, particularly African Americans, those over age 60, Hispanics in older age groups, those with a family history of glaucoma, and those who are nearsighted or have experienced eye trauma.

Glaucoma is not curable, and vision lost cannot be regained. With medication and/or surgery, it is possible to halt further loss of vision. Since open-angle glaucoma is a chronic condition, it must be monitored for life. Diagnosis through a simple screening is the first step to preserving your vision.

Sentara Potomac Hospital is holding a free Glaucoma Screening on Thursday, August 18, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. (by appointment) in the Century Medical Building, 2280 Opitz Boulevard, Suite 100, Woodbridge, on the campus of Sentara Potomac Hospital. This screening is performed by Dr. Susan Majlessi, a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist.

This is a free screening but an appointment is required. For an appointment, call the Health Connection at 703-221-2500.

Please note: This screening is for adults who are currently NOT being treated for glaucoma. It is NOT a vision correction examination.

First Emergency Case Performed at SHVC

The Interventional Radiology team of the Sentara Heart and Vascular Center at Potomac Hospital performed the first after-hours emergency case in the new center.

A critical care patient was urgently brought into the SHVC for a mesenteric angiography (a test to examine the blood vessels that supply the small and large intestines) performed by Dr. Jim Papadouris, with the assistance of Will Roden, R.N., Clinical Manager, and David Orta-Vega, RT(CV), Lead Technologist.

During the procedure, contrast was injected into multiple abdominal arteries to determine if the patient was experiencing active bleeding. Since no active bleeding was noted, the patient was returned to the ICU for continued care.

The Sentara Heart and Vascular Center at Potomac Hospital opened on May 31. The center offers residents in our community the option of receiving cardiovascular care closer to home, including interventional radiology procedures, interventional cardiac catheterization, and other procedures to treat heart and vascular diseases. Learn more here.